Prince Charming
by crbrgmi
Summary: When Kuroda goes too far, he makes a girl cry. Seeing her cry makes him want to play hero, and, for once, he might actually succeed in saving the damsel and winning the girl.
1. Chapter 1

Ikuko sighed. Once again she was walking with her best friend, Ryoko, and Seiichiro. She didn't mind walking with Seiichiro, in fact, she rather liked him as much as a normal friend. Ikuko just couldn't seem to let go of the fact that, now that her two friends were dating, she would be the third wheel, the outcast. She missed the days when she and Ryoko would walk together alone, but she just had to accept that the only way she and Ryoko would be alone was when Ryoko would visit her house, or vice versa.

"KOISO RYOKO! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!"

In turn, each of the small group of three sighed. Kuroda's sudden outbursts were becoming ritual now. It happened so often that no one was surprised anymore, including Ikuko, the quiet, timid girl who was friends with the martial arts expert - not to mention one of the two girls who could hold their own in any fight against any number of boys.

"Kuroda, why can't you just be quiet?" Ryoko mumbled. "And let me go!" Glancing to the commotion, Ikuko saw that it was the same scene that had been recurring every day since Kuroda first met Ryoko. Ikuko looked at Seiichiro, but he had the same clueless look he always had.

Funny, Ikuko remembered when she was absolutely terrified of that boy. She wasn't the only one - when he first transferred, everyone was complaining about nightmares involving that Kitano boy and his devilish, demonic facial structure. Though she would never say it out loud, she was glad Ryoko met up with Seiichiro. Not only did Ryoko calm down immensely, Ikuko now had a group of friends that she would never in her dreams believe she would have.

Seiichiro, the boy with the face of the devil, but the heart of an angel, was so extremely misunderstood that she couldn't understood why he was always so cheerful and calm about everything. Ikuno, the other girl who rivals Ryoko in fighting skill, who's a little scary in her own right. She wasn't like Seiichiro - she really was scary enough to match her cold eyes and indifferent expressions. Takehisa, the blonde boy who was the self proclaimed little brother to Seiichiro. Another violent driven boy.

Then there was Kuroda and his nameless pair of cronies who were always trailing behind him. Kuroda was an outspoken boy, eccentric, and very violent, though also a coward. She couldn't understand why he was so attracted to Ryoko, when she clearly had no interest whatsoever in him. It was obvious Ryoko didn't like Kuroda, and yet he was always there, making sure she was okay, constantly reminding her of his love for her, willing to die to protect her - though she didn't need anyone's protection, and he probably would die trying to protect her, literally.

Ikuko sighed again. What she wouldn't give to have someone care about her like that. She wasn't as pretty as Ryoko, nor was she as outgoing. Her hair was short; some people called it the pixie cut. She was shorter than Ryoko, making her the shortest one in their group. She wasn't strong, couldn't protect herself if she tried, and she really didn't understand the whole fighting thing. What was the point in fighting? Was it really just to prove how strong you were? These boys took fighting so seriously, and yet it seemed rather pointless.

Kuroda was yelling something incoherent as Ryoko quickly dealt the daily face kick in attempt to shut him up and leave her alone. Ikuko glanced at Seiichiro to see how he felt about his girlfriend always being bugged by a boy like Kuroda, but Seiichiro just stood there, with his clueless expression, obviously not at all worried. Why should he be worried? He and Ryoko loved each other. Sure they were only in their first year of high school, but they really and truly loved each other. Ikuko could see them growing old together, getting married, going to the same college, having a family.

Ikuko couldn't picture any of that for herself. Of course, they were only in their first year of high school, and she needed to pay as much attention to her work than worrying about if she'll ever find love. Sure she would. After she graduates from high school and moves on to college, she might be lucky enough to fall in love with a boy she happened to be partnered with, or a tutor, or even a professor. Yeah. She could certainly see herself falling in love with a college professor.

Ryoko tugged on Ikuko's arm, signaling that the ruckus finally ended, and they could now head off to class. Ikuko had been daydreaming about her college professor that she hadn't been paying much more attention to the commotion between her friends, but now that it was all over, she was able to pull herself back into reality. Kuroda and his cronies were gone, and the three of them were now heading to class.

Finally lunch time had arrived. Ikuko was starving, and she couldn't wait another second to dig into her lunch that her mother had made for her. There were only a few things missing: the drink that she had to go buy from the cafeteria, and Ryoko. Her friend had gone off to be with Seiichiro for the lunch period, leaving Ikuko alone. She didn't mind it, however. She would be alone most of lunch anyway considering she had to walk all the way to the cafeteria to buy her drink.

Taking her lunch with her, Ikuko made the long walk to the drink vender. She was happily enjoying her leisurely walk, not running into any trouble, looking forward to eating her meal.

Of course, lately, peace didn't last long for her. In fact, Kuroda had shown up a tad bit later than usual, she had started to become worried. He grabbed her arms and brought his face dangerously close to hers, going beyond the invasion of personal space.

"Koiso Ryoko friend #A!" Surprisingly, he wasn't shouting as loud as usual. "Where is she? She's with him, isn't she? Please tell me it isn't true! They're doing unnatural things! I just know it! Oh, why? What does she see in him?" The usual nonsense spewing from his mouth. "Koiso Ryoko friend #A, what's the secret? How can I make her fall in love with me?"

Ikuko sighed, for about the fifth time already, and swatted his hands off her arms. She wasn't outgoing, emotional, easily angered, nor did she even care about Kuroda's lack of self confidence, but to be completely honest, she was getting tired of being referred to Ryoko's friend #A. All this time she'd been so intimidated by Kuroda and the other thugs, but not right now. He had grabbed her and, even though he ought to know her name, he still refuses to call her by it. She had repeatedly told him her name, but for some reason he didn't seem to think he important enough to know her name.

Making a weird grunting noise, she swatted Kuroda's hands off her. Kuroda stepped back, a question plain on his face. One of his cronies said something about respecting her seniors, but she couldn't care less what they thought. They were just as bad as Kuroda.

"Listen, meathead," she said quietly. There was no point in yelling at this brainless ape, he wouldn't get the message. She's yelled at him countless times, and now she's had enough. She just wants to get to the cafeteria so she had enough time to eat her lunch. It was bad enough that she was ditched again, she didn't want to spend her lunch with these idiots. "Ryoko is having lunch with her boyfriend." Yep, there's that stupid angry raise of his eyebrows. "She doesn't like you, not even remotely enough to want to be acquaintances with you. Move on. Find someone else."

She pushed passed him, but he grabbed her. His anger was evident on his face, and it almost made Ikuko afraid, but not quite. The students around them were whispering about her living expectancy. She could hear them, they weren't exactly being discreet about it. She didn't care. Before Kuroda could say another word, she said her last bit.

"And my name is Ikuko, not Koiso Ryoko friend #A." She pulled her arm out of his grasp, which was surprisingly easy considering how weak she was compared to him. He was tall, and muscular to boot. Definitely a mindless ape. She couldn't stand him. She didn't want to be friends with him. She could handle Seiichiro and Takehisa, and even Ikuno, but not this monkey.

Without another word, and blatantly ignoring Kuroda's cronies yelling something else about respecting her seniors, and who the hell did she think she was talking to?

She knew exactly who she was talking to, and she decided to take his shit no longer.


	2. Chapter 2

"Well, you can't exactly blame her."

Kuroda looked up to Ooshita, who shrugged and decided to continue on the dangerous trek he was already walking.

"I mean, it's obvious Ryoko doesn't like you, and she's happy being with Kitano."

Kuroda clenched his fists and looked back down at the ground, his cigarette hanging limply in his mouth. He was willing to let Koiso Ryoko's friend off, not wanting to harm someone so dear to his beloved Koiso Ryoko, but what she said had stung him. Sure, it's been said countless times before, but that was just lies told to get him to leave Kitano's woman alone. This time, however, she said with more malice than she had ever used in all the times she's yelled at him. He was used to the yelling; the quiet tone was something else. She reminded him of that brown haired bitch.

Shivers ran down his spine. Those two were hanging out a lot recently. Could brown haired bitch's personality been transferred into Koiso Ryoko's friend? It seemed very possible, especially considering how oddly close their names were. Ikuno and Ikuko? Coincidence?

He pulled his fist back and punched the ground, not bothering with the pain in his fist. His rejection from Koiso Ryoko hurt more than simply punching the ground. No! He refused to give up! There had to be some way to convince his beloved Koiso Ryoko that only he, Kuroda Seikichi , could give her happiness. She was wrong. That woman, Koiso Ryoko friend #A, Ikuko, and he would prove to her just how wrong she was.

"You okay, Kuroda?" This coming from Tokiyama, but who's really paying attention? They both looked oddly alike, and they were both always thinking the same things. They weren't twins, but they may as well have been. Kuroda looked at his two friends just as the last bell rang. He smiled, making the two of them cringe slightly.

"Tell Ogisu to bring Koiso Ryoko's friend #A to me. We're going to have a little chat."

Ikuko put her arms above her head, stretching as far as her arms would go, a smile plain on her face. It was such a warm day, and now that school was over, she was free to enjoy it.

"You look happy today," Ikuno, her walking companion for the day, commented. Ryoko had to stay behind and clean the classroom, and, believe it or not, Ikuko wasn't comfortable walking alone with Seiichiro, but, as luck would have it, he also had to stay behind to clean the classrooms. She wouldn't have minded walking home alone, but Ikuno had been waiting for her outside her classroom, so, instead of saying no, Ikuko invited the other along.

She smiled over at Ikuno. "It's just so nice today that it's almost impossible not to be happy. Don't you think so?"

At the expression Ikuno currently had - which was expressionless - Ikuko doubted that was the correct question.

"I guess the weather is fairly satisfactory today."

Ikuko couldn't help smile at the deadpan tone in her companion's voice.

"Hey you, girl."

The two girls stopped and looked behind. Another one of the Ape-man's cronies was walking up to them, the new one who was also in Ikuko and Ryoko's class. He was another of those violent types, and had been picking fights with Ikuno and Seiichiro, so it was pretty obvious which girl he was talking to.

"Have fun with him." Ikuko patted her companion's shoulder, who blinked down at her.

"I wasn't talking to her," said the boy with bright red hair. The two girls blinked at him as he pointed at Ikuko. "The guardian wishes to speak to you."

Seiichiro? What could he want with her? Unless something happened to Ryoko? Immediately she hurriedly towards the boy, leaving Ikuno behind, who just shrugged and continued on her way. The boy with red hair (Ogisu, was it?) lead her to where the guardian was waiting. He lead her to the area behind on of the other buildings, and Ikuko became nervous. Had Ryoko gotten in another fight? What was Ryoko doing out in this area? No doubt picking fights with thugs. Or perhaps another "special" guidance counselor had arrived and misunderstood Seiichiro again? That happened quite frequently, and it wouldn't surprise Ikuko if that was the deal.

They turned the corner, and the sight of what was waiting for them stopped Ikuko in her tracks. It was that oaf with his other two lackeys. Where was Seiichiro and Ryoko? Unless Kuroda told Ogisu to lure Ikuko to this place so he could "teach her a lesson" from lunch? Or maybe to learn more of his pointless attempt to win Ryoko's heart? Whatever the reason, Ikuko didn't want to be here, and she was slowly becoming angry.

"I'm not going to tell you anything about Ryoko," Ikuko calmly told Kuroda before turning around and walking away. That the was the best solution to deal with this man. Just turn around and walk away, Ikuko. Don't stop until you're safely home.

Sure enough, here comes the pounding and huffing of a noisy Kuroda, running to catch up with her. On any other day, she would have run to keep away from him, but she didn't feel like running. The weather was too nice for her to want to be flustered. On that note, maybe she should run. The weather was too nice to deal with Kuroda and his nonsense.

He eventually did catch up with her, grabbing her arms and pushing her back against the nearest tree. It didn't hurt, but Ikuko did become frightened slightly. Kuroda was the type of man to overreact to the simplest matters, and she's seen some pretty bad overreacting. However, just because she's seen him go crazy didn't mean that she's seen the extent of his crazy. She should have realized, as she felt a slight pain forming in her back, that she had to be careful around him. Ryoko was able to do whatever she liked, but then again she was able to handle herself against him. With Ikuko it was different. She couldn't just talk or act however she wanted towards Kuroda; she wasn't strong enough to be able to deal with him.

She held her bag in both hands and held it up in front of her chest. He glared down at her, breathing heavily from his overexertion. Glancing around, Ikuko noted they were totally and completely alone. There was no one around to help her if he became violent with her. She could certainly talk rough with him, but when it came to physical strength she was no match. Just glancing at his arms, she had to gulp and hope that he wouldn't use his muscles against her.

"Listen," he began, bringing his face close to hers. "I don't know where all this courage suddenly came from, but when I ask you a question, I think you should answer it, right?"

"I don't have to answer anything for you."

He tightened his hold on her arms, and she couldn't help crying out a bit. She definitely hadn't seen this side of him before, even before Seiichiro transferred into the school Kuroda wouldn't hurt a girl like he was doing now. Not to mention he was over stepping a boundary by hurting Ryoko's friend. Wasn't he aware of that?

"I don't have to take that kind of crap from a stupid little bitch like you," he growled.

"Oh yeah. That's right, because you wouldn't be able to defend yourself against someone who was stronger than me, right?" She smirked as he narrowed his eyes more. "If you hurt me any more than you already are, I'll tell Ryoko, and she'll make sure you won't even be able to get out of bed for a week."

"Hiding behind your friend, are you?" He loosened his hold slightly. "You've suddenly become so brave, hiding behind that Koiso woman, not to mention Kitano and that brown haired bitch friend of yours. You got it made don't you? A wall of protectors to keep the defenseless princess safe. What will happen to you when they've all moved on, getting fed up with watching over a burden like you?"

For some reason, his words stung. She knew they were true, but it still hurt. The way he worded it made it sound like she purposely walked around looking for trouble, and expecting her friends to be there for her. It wasn't like that, at all. It just seemed to happen because she was with her friends. Most of her friends were fighters, after all, except Seiichiro.

When she was certain he loosened up enough, she pulled her arm free and smacked him with all the might she could muster from her position. He stood there, his cheek turned towards her, a faint color already starting to appear. She clutched her bag to her chest again, fighting back the tears that threatened to appear. She didn't regret what she'd just done, but she wasn't entirely sure what he would do about it. This was Kuroda! It wouldn't surprise anyone if he counterattacked her without a second thought. Hopefully her threat to tell Ryoko was still fresh in his mind.

And it seemed it was, for he stepped back away from her, but not without a deadly glare, his hands clenched so tightly in fists that his knuckles were turning whiter than his skin. His arms seemed to be visibly shaking as he took another step away from her. Ikuko held onto her bag with the same force he was clenching his fists. She didn't want to cry. She would not cry because of this monkey man. She couldn't. She wouldn't.

His face softened immediately as he saw a single tear slide down her cheek. His hands relaxed, and he could immediately feel regret for saying those things to her. Why? He wasn't sure, but he wasn't the type of man to make a woman cry. He had never been the cause of a woman's tears, and he couldn't believe that Ikuko's tears were because of him. His cheek stung from the surprisingly hard smack she had given him, but he felt he deserved another.

She stepped away from the tree, still holding her bag to her chest. She looked so frail suddenly. He had never seen her look like she did. Seeing her standing there, holding her bag, shaking in the increasingly failing attempt to hold back tears, made him want to walk up to her and hug her, tell her that he was sorry, and that he would never say anything so heartless again.

Ah, jeeze, what was wrong with him? What was his mind telling him? That he wanted to also be her protector? It wasn't fair that she had so many others to help her. The sting on his cheek reminded him that she didn't need her friends, she could very well handle herself in some situations. It still wasn't fair. This small woman whom he had just bullied because she was standing up for herself against him.

"I'm not a burden to them," she whispered. "They only protect me from weirdoes like you. I don't need them to form a wall in front of me. I'm not weak minded like you." With that, she ran off. As he watched her running away from him, he felt another need to chase after her. He had to apologize. He didn't want to see her crying.

He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Kuroda, you dumbass."


	3. Chapter 3

Ikuko found it hard to pay attention in class. She was so tired, and her teacher was droning on about something that didn't even have to do with the subject.

She hadn't slept a wink last night. Everything that had happened with Kuroda the previous week kept circulating in her head, visions of him chasing after her played in her dreams over and over. The odd thing about it was she wasn't afraid of him. In fact, she found herself become excited when she turned around to see him running after her. She would stop, and let him run to her.

When he finally caught up to her was the moment she woke up. Over and over again, whenever she fell asleep, here comes Kuroda, running after her. It was becoming irritating, she ended up staying awake most of the night.

The class laughed, jumping her back to reality. This whole business with that monkey was affecting her on a physical level, and it needed to end. Not once in the passed week has she seen him, which was a miracle considering she was with Ryoko most of the time.

The bell rang, signaling the end of school. Ikuko sighed and stretched. Finally, the end of the school week. Tomorrow she planned on doing nothing but lazing in her bed. Hopefully she wouldn't be tortured with dreams of that monkey man. After what had happened last week, her life had almost routed back to normal. She and Ryoko had peaceful walks to and from school, with the occasional addition of Seiichiro or Ikuno, and those were equally pleasant. The only fissure in her peaceful life was that reoccurrence of Kuroda.

"Hey, Ikuko." Ryoko stood next to Ikuko's desk, smiling. She was wearing her hair down, which meant she and Seiichiro were doing something after school today. Ikuko smiled back and stood up. "Seiichiro wants to introduce me to his parents tonight, so I'm going to his house. You don't have to walk the long way if you don't want to."

Ryoko's house was closer to the school than Ikuko's own, but it was also a long way to walk if Ikuko walked passed the Koiso Kobujustu school. If she were to just walk straight home, she's knock off twenty minutes off her walk. Cutting through the park that was just recently vacated cut off ten minutes more. In all, it would take Ikuko a whole ten minutes to walk home.

Ikuko paused and blinked. Seiichiro's parents? What pair of people could produce a boy like him? Extremely pale skin, little pupils, flat nose, sharp teeth…And yet he was so polite and socially awkward that it was almost impossible to think he would like a banshee. So, what did that say about his parents? Were they a vampire and a ghoul?

Ikuko inwardly shuddered, but outwardly smiled and patted her friend on the shoulder. "Best of luck. You'll call me when you get home, right? I want to know what his parents are like. I'm dying."

Ryoko gave a soft giggle, and headed out of the classroom, waving as she walked out and turned towards the eleventh class.

Ikuko picked up her bag and followed everyone else and headed out the school building. Once outside, she took a deep breath. Once again, a beautiful day. A leisurely walk in the park would make this day perfect.

"Ikuko."

She looked behind and waited for Ikuno to catch up. Ikuko was still confused as to why her friend still used the same uniform as her last two schools. It was clear she wasn't going to be transferred again any time soon. Would it really kill her father to buy a uniform for Hekikuu?

"Where's the other one?" Ikuno asked.

"You mean Ryoko? Oh, she's walking to Seiichiro's house, so I'm going home alone today."

The other girl nodded slightly. "Just be careful. I think you were being followed lately. I'm not sure, so I'm not totally concerned about it, but just keep on your guard."

"Eh, is it something that I should be worried about?"

"I don't think so." With that, Ikuno turned and left, leaving Ikuko clutching her bag in both hands, holding tightly.

She was being followed? She glanced around, but no one seemed to be watching her. Ikuno said that it wasn't something that she should be worried about, but she couldn't help it. She was going to be walking home alone today, so of course she was going to be worried. She saw Ryoko and Seiichiro walking, and thought about joining them, but decided against it. If Ikuko had really been in danger, Ikuno wouldn't let her walk alone. Was that semi warning enough to disturb Ryoko and Seiichiro?

Nah, let them have this moment together.

Ikuko took a deep breath, glanced around one more time, and headed off in the direction of the park.

She was walking alone. That was weird. Where was Ryoko? No, damn it, this was about her, not her friend. If Ryoko wanted to hang out with Kitano, then let her be. At the moment, the frail Ikuko was walking alone, and she was heading to the park. A while ago, his cronies, Kitano, Takehisa, and himself cleared out all the punks that had occupied that place. It was a million times safer now than it had been, but he still didn't feel right letting her just walk by herself in the near empty park.

All week long, he'd been following her, watching her, making sure she was safe. If he caught someone looking at her wrong, or whispering about her, he would take care of it. All common sense was foreign to him if he found someone disrespecting her in any way. He really felt bad about what he said to her, and he was hoping this would make up for it.

During his following, he realized that, just for once, he wanted to be looked up to. Not like he was by his two friends and Ogisu, no, he wanted to admired by a girl; what better way to be admired than protecting a girl who couldn't protect herself? At least, that's what he believed. With his luck, his following her around could end up the complete opposite of how he wanted it turn out.

She turned off the main path, taking a smaller one, a more secluded one. If it was any other park, a path like that could lead to trouble. Of course, after the clean up a few months ago thugs and delinquents have steered clear of this particular park for fear of the wrath of the Demon of Hekiku High. Still, Kuroda followed her.

Actually, it was nice not have someone on his tail every second of the day, and he actually started to regularly attend his classes. His cronies figured it was because of something Ryoko might have said or done, but that wasn't the issue. He wanted to be as close to room 1-7 as he possibly could without getting in trouble. His usual hang out spots were too far away, and the teachers regularly patrolled the areas where he could hang out that was close enough. So, really, the only logical thing to do was to go to class, and then make his way to Ikuko's class as soon as the class ended. His plans had worked almost perfectly, and he only managed to be late to class a few times this past week.

Ikuko stopped and turned around, but Kuroda was fast enough to hide behind a tree when the moment she stopped. Did she know that he was following her? How? He was so careful not to be noticed! Maybe she was just nervous, letting her imagination run wild because of the seclusion of this path. Lord knows Kuroda has done that plenty of times to himself.

Peeking around the tree, he saw that she was walking again, but a little more stiffly than before. Had she caught sight of him? Did she think he was prowler or something? He wouldn't put it passed her to come to that conclusion first thing, but it still bit at his nerves a little. Here he was, trying to protect her, and she thought he was a stalker! He suddenly had half a mind to teach her a lesson, let her know that, hey, he was just trying to make sure she was safe! Of course she would misunderstand…they all did, always.

He knew he wasn't the most handsome guy around, but, come on, at least he looked better than Kitano, and that guy managed to snag himself a pretty hot girlfriend.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

Kuroda's ears perked. That wasn't Ikuko, in fact it wasn't even of the female species. He hadn't seen anyone else on this path, so that other boy had to be talking to Ikuko, right? He sped up a bit, wanting to catch up to the girl.

"What does it matter to you? Get lost." Yup, that was Ikuko. Kuroda cracked his knuckles and chuckled. It was finally time to show her what he could really do, that he wasn't just some coward that could only win a fight three against one, and that one had to be a weakling.

There was a shriek, and the boy blinked. Time to get into action.

The man had a strong hold on Ikuko's arm, and he clearly had no intention of letting go. She dropped her bag, trying to pry the man's hand off her arm - doing everything from digging her nails into his hand to biting his arm - but nothing was working. He started dragging her towards the bushes to the side of the pathway. Why did she decide to take a happy stroll on a lonely path all by herself? Sure this park's been clean for awhile, but that didn't mean there still weren't punks hiding out in the more secluded areas.

He pushed her down under a bush, but she still fought and kicked with all her might. Maybe she should pay attention to Ryoko whenever she fights? That way, at least she'd know what to do when faced with a situation like this.

Oh jeeze. This sort of thinking would only make what that ape-man said true. She couldn't rely on Ryoko to solve all her problems. Sure she wasn't as good as fighting, or taking care of situations like this - as the man grabs her arms and forces them above her head with one hand - but she sure as hell had a mouth on her, and she intended to use it to its full extent. Hopefully someone was around to hear her.

"Let me go, you fucking bum!" she shouted, attempting to bring up her knee. The man laughed at her, and her knee failed to do much of anything except twitch under his weight.

"Now now," he said while sneering, "is that anyway for a beautiful, young lady to talk?"

Ikuko closed her eyes as he bent down over her. She could smell his alcoholic breath and wanted to vomit in his face. He nuzzled his nose against her cheek, a bit of prickly five o'clock shadow scraping her skin. She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and squeezed her eyelids tighter as she felt him open his mouth…

And then he was gone. Just like magic, he had let go of her hands, had been removed from her body. She could breathe easily again.

"What the hell kind of lowly, lonely, poor bastard has to prey on girls in the park?"

Ikuko opened her eyes, but she couldn't see much from under the bush; but she knew exactly who was speaking. She groaned, not wanting to have to deal with a second smelly man, but at least he saved her, so she could be thankful for the time being. She crawled out from where she was to see Kuroda knee the man in the gut, which was all it took to make him double over and pass out. She would have been impressed if she didn't already know the man was stinking drunk, and probably would have passed out on his own in a few minutes.

She would have wanted to die in just those few minutes, so she owed Kuroda that much.

Staying where she still sat, just in front of the bush, she took a deep breath, trying to rid herself of that man's stink. It felt so nice to be in the open air, breathing in the freshness that had originally been replaced by the smell of alcohol stink. She closed her eyes for a moment, reveling in the freedom, and gathering up the courage to thank the boy for saving her.

She heard movement in front of her, and she opened her eyes to see Kuroda standing in front of her, his hand held out to offer her his help. She took his hand - which was surprisingly warm, and not in a bad way either - and let him pull her up, but he was standing too close, and she wasn't sure of the polite way to push him away so she wasn't pressed against him. She didn't like being so close to him, even after he saved her, but she wasn't uncomfortable, and she wanted to be. Luckily, she didn't have to, or he could read her mind, because he stepped away, letting go of her hand, the cool air encasing her hand, making her miss the warmth.

He wasn't wearing his uniform shirt, but at least he had on the undershirt. His arms were more muscular than she thought, which was that his arms were just fat. They didn't look like a monkey's arms at all. And she could see from under his shirt that his torso wasn't fat either! Well, damn, if he was that muscular, why did he always come off as some guy who pretended to know how to fight? Glancing down to the drunk at their feet, he could fight just fine.

After standing there for a few moment, Kuroda crossed his arms, an annoyed look on his face.

"Well, damn, if I knew you were going to be this pissed off, I woulda just let him continue." He shrugged and looked away. "Then again, apparently you're strong enough to handle yourself, right?"

Again, for some reason, what he said just then singed her heart a little, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. For God's sake, woman! You would have been raped if he hadn't been there! Show your gratitude or something! You at least owe him dinner!

Without another thought, she took two steps towards him and threw her arms around him. Sure, maybe an over exaggerated hug might have been over the top, and of course she was grateful, but she wasn't going to let him see her cry either. She buried her face in his chest - oh yeah, those were muscles, all right - and she gritted her teeth against crying.

"Thank you, so much," she said through gritted teeth. She took a deep breath, which calmed her down slightly as he held his arms up. She knew he might be a little uncomfortable, and most likely had no idea what to do. He probably never been hugged by a woman before. The thought made her giggle slightly, but she hid it by turning it into a cough, which sounded like she was crying. She felt him gently place his hands on her back; he thought she _was crying. _

"_Please, you have no idea how grateful I am." She looked up at him, and smiled widely at his confused, wide eyed expression. It was all she could really do to keep from laughing at him. "Let me cook you dinner or something. I have to show you how grateful I am."_

_He blinked for a minute, but she knew the thought of food appealed to him, and he grinned at her. "That sounds amazing!"_

_She pulled away, grabbed his hand, and pulled him in the direction of her house. Her parents were out of town for the night, so tonight would be the perfect opportunity to feed him and not offer any explanations as to why._


	4. Chapter 4

What the hell was she thinking? Inviting someone like that into her house? Was she crazy? As of right now, he sits in her living room, flipping through channels on her little television, and here she is, in the kitchen, already halfway finished cooking him dinner. She was stirring the sausage when the revelation finally hit her. She was just in shock, yeah, that's it. And she ended up saying some things that she didn't really mean. Okay, sure. But, now that she's regretting it all, she can't exactly just walk up to him and order him out. It would sound more characteristic for her, much more than inviting him in would be!

No, she's couldn't do that. She'll feed him, and as soon as he's finished she'll kick him out. Yeah, that sounds like a much more hospitable plan. And then, once he's gone, she's going to get Ryoko on the phone and let out all the nerves she's holding in. It'll probably come out in a single burst, but what else can she do? She's anxious, she wants to go into her bedroom, bury her face into her pillow, and scream to all high heaven. Then again, he might hear that, so that's out of the question, too.

Ugh, and to invite him over while her parents were out? Ikuko, what's the matter with you? Were you really that much in shock to have lost all sense of reality? So what if his fat turned out to be muscles, which, she couldn't ignore, were nice and all, but that didn't mean she had the okay to just say, "Hey! Let's have dinner at my empty house!" He's a teenaged boy, riddled with hormones, and she's a teenaged girl, and he's still hot and bothered over Ryoko, but that didn't mean he won't settle for less.

She placed the spoon in her mouth for tasting. Was she really less? Okay, Ikuko, don't downgrade yourself just because he's into Ryoko and not you. That's a good thing, right? She'd probably die if he tried to make a move on her. It was bad enough that he was the one to come to her rescue, and, though she was grateful…

He was the one who came to her rescue! What Ikuno had said, did she mean Kuroda? Why would he be the one following her? He couldn't possibly have been moved by what they had been discussing the previous week, right? He was Kuroda. He was mindless, stupid, emotionless, tactless, clumsy…He was an ape-man! He was King Kong in human form! He even looked like King Kong.

The sound of him laughing at something on the television drifted into the kitchen.

Good lord, he even sounded like King Kong.

The little timer beeped, indicating the food being done. She walked into the front room where he had taken her invitation to make himself at home. He was laying down on the full length of the couch, his feet dangling over the edge. Thank goodness his shoes were off, otherwise she'd have to clean the couch along with everything else he touched.

"Dinner's ready," she said, quietly. "Go wash up while I set it out."

He blinked at her, first with a blank expression, then it quickly changed to a smile and he jumped up. It was damn near childish how excited he was about eating. She didn't know why she was so surprised, he was a teenage boy, after all, and he ate a lot of food.

By the time she had laid out the food, Kuroda returned and heavily plopped himself on one of the mats, instantly grabbing a pair of chopsticks, thanking for the food, and dug in. Ikuko just sat across the table from him, silently watching him as he literally devoured the food. There was food falling from his mouth, leaping across the table. A piece of rice landed on her plate, and she pushed it away, feeling disgusted.

After a second helping, Kuroda finally took a moment to breathe, staring at her with his cheeks full of food. Loudly gulping, he set his chopsticks down, placed his hands on either side of his plate, and tilted his head.

"Are you not eating?" he asked.

Ikuko could only shake her head. "You go ahead. I did make it all for you, anyway." She faked a smile, but he could see passed it. Instead of going further, like she hoped he wouldn't, he shrugged and went back to eating.

After another few moments, she couldn't hold in her disgust.

"Do you get fed regularly at home?" she asked. He paused in chewing a piece of beef, and blinked at her. "I mean, you're eating like you haven't eaten in awhile, so I was just asking."

He swallowed his food in another audible gulp. "I eat just fine at home."

"Well, your manners are appalling, and it's a miracle your mother doesn't smack you during every meal."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you eat like a monkey!" She immediately put her hand on her mouth. She hadn't meant to actually say what she was thinking, but it just came out. What was it about this guy that always brought out the worst in her? She just wanted to keep her mouth shut, let him finish, and then send him away. With her outburst, it was doubtless that was going to happen. This was going to either end in blood or tears - or worse, both.

"What do you mean, I eat like a monkey?" he demanded. "I like to eat, and this happens to be really good."

"Well you don't have to send it flying everywhere. I haven't touched the food and my plate is already half full."

"It is not." He placed his chopsticks down once again and crossed his arms. "If you don't like seeing someone appreciating your cooking, maybe you shouldn't go inviting people into your home for dinner."

"I didn't mean to," she mumbled, blushing and looking away. It was true, and she wasn't afraid to let him know that she didn't mean to, but she was embarrassed that she did it at all.

"I just saved you, it was only natural."

"At this point, I'm not sure which was worse ending. Having you in my home or letting that man continue with what he was doing."

He sat there, staring at her with wide eyes. She didn't mean to say that either, but, once again, he brought out the worse in her. She stared back him, expressionless, giving nothing away that she was grateful to him for saving her. She was willing to say anything to get him out of her house in that moment.

His eyes softened, looking almost pained as he stared at her. Slowly he shook his head and leaned closer towards her.

"You don't mean that," he whispered.

She blushed again, but brighter this time. He wasn't supposed to show compassion! He was supposed to get angry at her words, throw down the chopsticks, and stomp out of her home in an angry fit. He wasn't supposed to place his muscular arms gently on the table, lean forward slightly, and actually look concerned for her well-being. Him showing her compassion wanted to make tears form in her eyes, but she held them back. The urge to cry wasn't that great, she could hold back easily.

"I did mean it. You're loud, rude, you throw food around as you eat it…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Honestly, you remind me of a monkey in everything you do, and I would like for you to leave."

"I'm not leaving."

She opened her eyes to find him sitting back, his knee bent, his arm resting on his knee. He looked so comfortable, so confident in that pose, and she realized she had never really seen him truly confident like that before. He probably did believe he was some sort of prince charming, having rescued her from the evil man in the bushes…No, she can't think of him like that. He's a monkey, King Kong, and he will never be anything else. It was just luck that he was walking down the same secluded pathway, just moments after she herself had been walking.

Blinking, she remembered Ikuno's words before she left school. Someone had been following her recently. It couldn't be him, could it?

"How did you know where I was?" she asked quietly. She clenched her teeth when she saw that faint twitch of his eyes that revealed that he had been the on following her.

"I was just walking when I heard you yelling," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. He suddenly couldn't look her in the eyes, and she almost smiled triumphantly.

"Why have you been following me?" she asked. He shrugged, but he still wouldn't look at her. "I know you've been following me all week, and I want to know why."

"I wasn't following you," he growled. "I just happened to be walking in the same direction you were going."

"That's a load of crap!" she shrieked, making him jump. "You felt sorry for me for what happened last week, and you thought you could follow me around and make sure I didn't get into any trouble! Right? I can't believe you!"

She stood up and stalked out of the eating area, which was apart of the kitchen, and stood next to the couch. All she could hear in her mind was the sound of him laughing at something on the television. He was getting to her head, and all because of him beating up that drunk earlier. This couldn't be happening. She hated the guy! Why did she feel that hate start to waver now of all times?

She heard him step up behind her, felt him coming closer, and the knowledge that there was nothing to put between them sent shivers throughout her body. She crossed her arms over her stomach and rubbed them, trying to get rid of the shivers.

"Okay," he said softly, too close to her for her to be comfortable. She wanted to move away, but he placed his hands on her arms and gently turned her toward him. "I admit it, I was following you because of our conversation last week. I wanted to apologize for what I said, but I couldn't bring myself to do it in front of Koiso and the others."

"Just 'Koiso' now? Not 'Koiso Ryoko'?" She couldn't help her mouth twitching at the edges. She didn't want to smile, not in front of him when they were alone.

Her face went completely blank as he gently moved some hair out of her face that had fallen there when she stormed out of the kitchen. Her hair wasn't long, but it still found ways to get in the way. As his fingers brushed against her skin, she shivered again, though these weren't cold shivers. Her stomach did flips as she stared up at him, suddenly frightened for what might happen next.

He was so close to her, and yet she didn't want to push him away. He did save her, after all, and for some reason she seemed to be more comfortable in his presence. She couldn't let go of the fact that he had followed her - no, stalked was more like it - all week, but she was glad that he did. Otherwise, she'd be at the mercy of a drunken man who had come close to taking advantage of her before Kuroda showed up.

Sighing, she hung her head. She didn't have to, but she did have to do something to make him stop staring into her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Thank you for saving me, if you hadn't been there I don't know what I would have done." Her voice cracked as she finished her sentence, and she found herself fighting to hold back tears. Just the memory of that man's mouth on her made her want to throw up. Kuroda placed a finger under her chin and made her look up at him.

"You're welcome," he whispered back. Slowly, he used the finger under her chin to bring her face closer to his. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was about to do, and she wanted to pull away, but her body wouldn't let her.

She felt herself start to shake, and her stomach started tingling. She had never felt that sensation before, and she was faintly aware that her legs were turning to mush. She could smell the masculine smell of his body; despite the fact that it was Kuroda and he probably smelled horrid on any other day, didn't seem to bother her. She smelled her cooking, the soap he used when he washed before dinner, and something that she didn't recognize, but made her stomach tingle even more.

Kuroda inched closer, and she could feel her eyelids become heavier. After all, this man did save her life, not to mention her virtue and sanity. Was cooking dinner the only thing she could do for him?

Yes! Yes it was! She regained her strength and pushed him away before their lips touched. He stumbled backwards, taken aback by the sudden force she pushed against him. Both their faces were flushed, and he held the back of his hand against his mouth as if he couldn't believe what he was just about to do.

"No." She shook her head. "I don't know what kind of meaning you got from me the other day, but stalking me, saving me, eating my food, and then trying to kiss me was not what I meant. What I meant was that I didn't need anyone else to protect me from monkeys like you. I'd like you to leave."

She said that, but she couldn't look him in his eyes. She really did want him to leave, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was just about to have her first kiss and that thought exhilarated her. If he didn't leave now, her hormones and teenage feelings might take over, and who knew what might happen next?

Kuroda took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and nodded. "I'll see you at school then."

"I sure hope not," she whispered as he paused in the entryway to put his shoes back on. They glanced at each other for a moment before he turned around and left, shutting the door softly behind him.

As soon as the door was closed, Ikuko sank to her knees, tears spilling from her eyes as a result of holding back so many different emotions from the last few hours.


End file.
